One More Night
by Flames101
Summary: Kate attempts to put an end to the torrid affair she's been carrying on with a certain genius doctor. A Kate/Reid one-shot written to help promote the 2014 Profiler's Choice Awards.


**A/N:** Hey all! So, I've really enjoyed some of the moments between Kate and Reid on the show. I think I'm officially a shipper of the two. This one-shot doesn't take place in a particular spot in the season, definitely after the first three episodes of Season 10, though. Hope you enjoy! And please check out the little blurb at the end about the Profiler Choice Awards. Thanks!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Criminal Minds.

**One More Night**

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><p>Kate wasn't completely clueless when it came to Dr. Spencer Reid. That wasn't to say he didn't baffle her on a daily basis. But they did have one kind of understanding, one that didn't require a lot of words. Just touch.<p>

It started pretty quickly after she'd joined the team. She'd gone to his room after being thrust right into her first case in California. The "Limb Stealer." Going from cracking down on child predators to this, she didn't know which was worse. Ok, scratch that, the predators were. But, that first case had just been weird. Little did she know back then that that had only been the beginning.

Kate had chosen Reid's room for a reason. They had connected from the first moment: some friendly, border-line flirting, banter in the elevator. He was cute and she'd fallen for his charm in all its awkwardness. So, naturally, when she couldn't sleep after the un-sub had been killed (not before nearly taking her arm off) she'd gone to Reid.

And they'd talked, only that, nothing more. That first night was nice. But it had been an anomaly in all the nights they'd spent together since.

On subsequent nights, during and after cases, there was little spoken between them. It was all about making each other forget for a few hours. But the physicality of their relationship hadn't started until the case with the crashed plane.

She hadn't known him long then, but it was obvious while they were looking over the crash-site that he was putting two and two together. So, she'd confessed. Her sister and brother-in-law had died during 9-11. He'd apologized for her loss. A necessity, a social norm he had to fulfil. But, when he'd confessed to her that his girlfriend had died in front of him and that his mother was ill—two things she would never have guessed and never needed telling—she knew that he was different.

It wasn't that she didn't love her husband. She did. So much. However, he wasn't there after the cases, when she needed comfort. And it was certainly no excuse, but she needed someone in the middle of the night when she overthought everything, all the evil in the world and how it seemed to outnumber the good. She needed someone when she thought, no, when she knew she was about to go mad.

It wasn't fair to Chris. And it certainly wasn't fair to Reid. And it needed to stop. She couldn't continue with this injustice to them both.

"I've got to go," she whispered into the dark room, the only words that had been spoken that night other than the three that got her into his room in the first place.

She started out of the bed, but his hand on her arm halted her. "Don't," he said simply.

Kate flipped on the hotel lamp and turned to face him. He looked at her pleadingly. And for the first time since they'd begun this… whatever this was, she wondered, what exactly was he getting from all this? Because, from the look on his face, Reid needed this time with her as much as she needed it with him. How could she be so selfish?

"I can't," she replied sadly. "We can't do this anymore."

"You said that before," he pointed out.

Sighing, she pulled her arm lightly and he let go. Bending down, she picked up her tossed aside sweatshirt and slipped it over her head.

"I know," she answered.

"This time's different?" he wondered out loud.

Was it? Like he'd said, she'd said it before. She ran her fingers through her short brown strands, sure she looked a mess, stalling. "I don't know," she said truthfully.

He reached for her hand, holding tight, and she let him. "Stay, we'll talk about it in the morning. We'll figure this out."

She gave him a wry smile. "You've said that before, too."

"One more night," he continued, using the same words she'd used to get her through the door. "The night isn't over yet."

He watched her wishfully with one uncovered eye; unruly brown hair flopped over the second. He was like an adorable puppy, hard to resist. And she couldn't, not even now. Making her wonder, could she ever?

Reaching across the space, she brushed the flop of hair back, letting her fingers trail to caress his face. He leaned into her touch, holding his breath.

After a moment, she murmured, "Ok."

"Ok?" he echoed.

"One more night."

He lay back down on the standard double bed, bringing her down with him, both lying on their sides to face each other.

She went back to touching him. His forehead, cheeks, his lips. Words would fade soon and this would be what was left. "This is it," she said. "I'm married."

"I know." He inched his way closer, closing the distance.

"I love Chris," she said, breaking eye-contact only for a moment to contemplate his full lips.

She re-met his gaze only to find understanding there. What did he understand? That she said the words, but didn't know if she could follow-through? Did he know that she wasn't even sure if what she said was true anymore, that she loved Chris?

Probably, he was a genius, after all.

"I know."

He certainly knew and understood that when his lips touched hers, when he kissed her hungrily as he did now, that the world faded and all there was was them. Two bodies moving together without a care in the world.

Whatever either of them did or didn't know those would be the last words spoken between them that night. Because now, it was time to forget for one more night.

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><p>That's it for this one. Hope you enjoyed! And I hope you'll let me know what you think!<p>

Also, I hope (I know that's a lot of hoping) you'll send in ballot in this year's Profiler Choice Awards:

**The 2014 PROFILER'S CHOICE CRIMINAL MINDS FANFIC AWARDS are back! Calling all CM readers and authors! Join us in celebrating the best of the best CM stories for the annual Profiler's Choice CM Awards! Help us and let your voices be heard. Please check out the nomination ballot and rules at the****ProfilerChoiceAwards2014 Forum**** (Direct Link also in my profile). All rules and information are on the forum. Nominations begin November 15 and are due December 31st.** **Good Luck! **

As an added bonus: **We encourage all nominations (rules permitted). We accept ballots starting at one nomination, however, all ballots with five or more nominations will be entered into a drawing for one of three Amazon gift cards. Nominations run until 11:59EST on December 31, 2014. The final ballot will be published in early January 2015.**


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